Diocese of Charleston News

On Sunday, March 16, 2008, 20 priests, 3 deacons, and more than 250 worshipers from 18 parishes in at least five jurisdictions gathered at St. John Chrysostom Antiochian Orthodox Church in York, Pa., to celebrate the Sunday of Orthodoxy.

The chanting and responses were led by the Pan-Orthodox Mixed A Capella Choir, comprised of choir members and singers of various participating parishes. This year the choir director was Khouria Pam Pier of St. John's. The guest speaker was Dr. Tristan Engelhardt, Jr., a professor at Rice University. George Vafeas, an 11th grade student of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, Lancaster, Pa., spoke on "Bearing Witness to the Light of God." Three members of St. John's were inducted into the Order of St. Ignatius. After Vespers, an offering was received to support Orthodox ministries and a meal was served.

The parishes comprise the Orthodox Council of Churches of South Central Pennsylvania. In addition to yearly Sunday of Orthodoxy Vespers (this was the 43rd), the group also meets for a yearly summer picnic in the area.

On the weekend of January 12-13, 2008, the Mission of St. Basil the Great, York County, Virginia, hosted numerous guests and clergy along with His Grace, Bishop THOMAS of the Diocese of Charleston and the Mid-Atlantic, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of the Tidewater Mission, now known as St. Basil the Great. The southeastern portion of Virginia is known locally as the Tidewater Region, or more popularly, as Hampton Roads.

The region has many military bases, and is known as a summertime vacation haven; therefore, over the past twenty years, there have been several failed attempts at starting and sustaining an Antiochian mission that would be pan-orthodox in nature, with an all English Liturgy.

In 1997, approximately five local families planted the seeds of the mission, along with the help of the Very Reverend Fathers Boniface Black, Gordon Walker, and Nicholas Sorensen. The mission now has thirty-six pledging families. St. Basil the Great is located in Poquoson, Virginia, a mere twenty minute drive from historic colonial Williamsburg.

During the weekend of February 8 to 10, St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Emmaus, Pennsylvania, celebrated the final payment of their mortgage with a mortgage burning ceremony. His Grace, Bishop THOMAS was present with the community and shared with the faithful in the weekend’s festivities.